Heart Valve Surgery Recovery and Follow-Up

What to expect after heart valve surgery

The recovery time is about four to eight weeks and may be shorter after minimally invasive surgeries.

Right after surgery

People are usually practicing basic self-care and are encouraged to get up, breathe deeply and resume eating, drinking and walking as soon as possible after surgery.

Days and weeks after surgery

During this phase, people can expect to slowly regain energy and increase their normal activity levels.

View our Recovery Milestones checklist (PDF) and chart your progress toward wellness. This checklist is also available in Spanish (PDF).

Make your recovery plan

Heart valve surgery has a high success rate. If your healthcare professional recommends surgery, you can start thinking now about how you’ll recover and take care of yourself afterward. Print our helpful checklist (PDF)(link opens in new window) now and keep it handy while you prep.

"When I left the hospital, I had to ask my husband to tie my shoes. I didn’t realize before my surgery that I wouldn’t be allowed to bend over for a while during my recovery. I had a lot of questions, but I didn’t know who to ask or where to find answers." — Liz, heart valve patient

Here are some common things to think about during recovery. Be sure to follow your healthcare professional’s instructions, which are based on your needs.

What should you bring to the hospital?

• Loose-fitting pants or shorts.
  • Easier to put on and take off
  • Loose, stretchy styles can help if you have swelling or a catheter
  • Offer modesty protection for walking the halls during recovery
• Comfortable, slip-on shoes or slippers with a nonskid sole.
• Supportive, easy-to-fasten bra, if needed
• Loose and comfortable clothes to wear home

What do you need for recovery at home?

• Use our checklist (PDF) to help you think through managing:
  • Home tasks
  • Self-care
  • Family, work and pet care routines

"One difficulty I didn’t expect was that I could not do laundry. I could drop a few pieces of lightweight clothing in the washer but lifting the wet laundry to put it in the dryer was a huge no-no. The other challenge was loading and emptying the dishwasher. Again, for me, the bending over was off limits for one, but also the weight of some of the dishes was too much for me to lift right at first." — Liz

How long will recovery take?

Recovery differs for each person. It depends on the type of procedure, overall health before surgery and any potential complications.

Here’s what one patient had to say about managing her expectations.

"When you are told you’ll be recovering for four to six weeks, and then you follow up with 12 more weeks of cardiac rehab, and then you realize that you still feel like you're not recovered, it's not actually because you are not recovered. It is because after a major heart surgery, you have a new normal. You just feel differently and you're sporting the scar that shows you have been through a battle. I call it my courage scar. I can do most of the things I used to do and making that connection to other survivors [helped me continue to] get stronger and to remain hopeful." — Eva, heart valve patient